THOUSANDS of people in Coventry are being asked to come clean on smoking, drinking and exercise as part of major review of people?s lifestyles....

THOUSANDS of people in Coventry are being asked to come clean on smoking, drinking and exercise as part of major review of people?s lifestyles.

The last time the survey was carried out Coventry people were labelled ?drunk, flabby and lazy.??

The results will help health bosses plan services around people?s needs.

It is the fourth lifestyle survey to be commissioned. The first was in 1989.

Director of public health for Coventry, Dr Keith Williams, said the health authority wanted to find out what Coventry people were up to in terms of various health habits.

He said: ?Around 8,000 addresses have been chosen at random and a questionnaire sent out. The same questionnaire is being used by eight different health authorities in the West Midlands so we are able to make comparisons.

?Last time the results came through I called the population of Coventry drunk, lazy and overweight so it will be interesting to see what picture is revealed this time.? The document is being sent out on NHS notepaper together with a letter from Dr Williams by market research company, MVA.

It is 16 pages long and divided into various sections seeking answers to questions on such issues as general health, food and dietary habits, exercise, drinking and sun-bathing.

?It is very simple to fill out,? said Dr Williams. ?All people have to do is tick the relevant boxes so it can easily be filled out in 10 or 15 minutes.

?There is also a stamped addressed envelope so it is also no trouble returning the survey.?

The questionnaire has been going out for the past couple of weeks and already 1,500 have been returned.

Dr Williams said in the past about 70 per cent have been returned, but reminders will be sent out soon.